New technologies that support the collection and transfer of information have become more critical as the monitoring of resources (typically energy, gas, or oil) has rapidly expanded. Data must be reliably and securely captured and transferred, and this can be challenging considering the varied locations and environmental conditions surrounding installed metering hardware. For example, smart meters that measure, collect, and analyze energy usage, or meters that measure seismic information provide critical data—and these meters must provide reliable information over long periods of time.
Silicon MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) timing is one of the innovative technologies improving the reliability and performance of metering equipment. This equipment requires robust timing components with stable frequencies to provide accurate timekeeping and synchronization with the clock source. Because of the intrinsic robustness and resiliency of MEMS-based components, this technology is rapidly replacing legacy quartz components. In addition to greater reliability, MEMS timing provides flexible and specialized features that improve system performance, along with very short lead times.